Chapter 132

• Esther stood by the window, her gaze penetrating the frost-kissed landscape stretching beyond her small apartment. Winter had descended upon the world, blanketing everything in a thick layer of white—a stark contrast to the chaotic whirls of emotion churning inside her. Charlotte and Damien painted their life in hues of joy and laughter, blissfully unaware of the storm that was silently brewing on the horizon. But Esther was not merely a shadow of the past; she was a force to be reckoned with, fueled by a ferocious resilience.
• She had spent years relegated to the background, a mere footnote in their unfolding story. Bound to the memories of her love for Damien, and spurred by the betrayal of time, Esther concocted a plan. It wouldn’t be enough just to remind him of their shared past; she needed to make him feel that absence acutely. It was time to force his hand, to make him confront the decisions he had so readily swept under the rug. Her heart raced as her mind turned over strategy after strategy, seeking the perfect blend of cunning and emotional resonance.
• “Damien needs to choose,” she muttered to herself, her voice barely breaking the silence of the room. “And I will ensure he remembers the reasons why he loved me in the first place.” The thought exhilarated her, even if it was drenched in the uncertainty of what would come next.